The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told Air India to remove three officials from all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering in a June 20 notice. The notice includes Divisional Vice President of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC), Choorah Singh, for “serious and repeated lapses”. Air India has confirmed to the FinancialExpress.com that it has derostered Singh, and the COO is overseeing the operations at IOCC.
The aviation safety regulator mentioned “systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability” at the airline, and ordered the Tata-owned group to initiate proceedings against them without delay and submit a detailed report within 10 days. The agency named three officials- Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager-DOPS, Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, Crew Scheduling and Planning.
“Repeated and serious violations were voluntarily disclosed by Air India concerning flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements. These violations were discovered during the post-transition review from ARMS to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System,” the DGCA order further added.
The notice also said that the officials should not hold any position involving “direct influence over flight safety and crew compliance”.
On Monday, DGCA began the detailed audit at Air India’s Gurugram office that caters to operations, flight scheduling, rostering and IOCC – the wing that Choorah Singh heads, PTI reported, citing a source.
‘Implemented DGCA order’: Air India
Air India said that it has implemented the directive issued by DGCA on June 20. “We acknowledge the regulator’s directive and have implemented the order,” an Air India spokesperson told FinancialExpress.com.
The spokesperson added, “In the interim, the company’s Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC).”
“Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,” the spokesperson further said.
Who is Choorah Singh?
Choorah Singh, against whom DGCA has issued a notice, is the Divisional Vice President of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) at Air India. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has held several key roles across Europe and India, having worked in the aviation sector for over two decades now.
Singh began his aviation career as a Scheduling Analyst with Ryanair in Dublin. He worked with Ryanair for a very long time, not in continuation though, ultimately leaving in 2021. He then joined Emerald Airlines as Director of Operations, a role he held for three years before moving to Air India in 2024 to take up his current position.
He also worked with Airlines for Europe (A4E) for a year. He then joined SESAR Deployment Manager as part of the A4 Airspace User Group, and then transitioned to Eurocontrol. He spent about four years contributing to both organisations.
Singh has also contributed to policy and strategy in aviation. He served on the board of the Dublin Business School for two years and worked with Ireland’s Department of Transport. He has also held roles with SESAR Joint Undertaking and SESAR Deployment Manager in various capacities, bringing a strong focus on safety and innovation in aviation operations.
On the academic front, Singh studied at John Hampden Grammar School in Buckinghamshire, followed by a degree in Computer Science from Buckinghamshire New University. He also completed a professional project management course at Dublin Business School and earned an MSc in Management and Aviation Leadership from Dublin City University.
Singh has also added several licenses and certifications to his LinkedIn profile and listed over 50 skills, with a strong emphasis on aviation operations, airline management, and safety systems.
Air India plane crash
A London-bound Air India flight, AI-171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12. All but one passenger on board the plane died.
The investigation into the crash is underway, and initial investigations, as per a WSJ report, suggest that the aircraft’s emergency power system, known as Ram Air Turbine (RAT), was activated shortly before the crash. This raises serious questions about whether the engines were functioning properly during take-off.
The investigators said that although there is a breakthrough in the crash, the investigation is still underway. WSJ reported that the investigators have not confirmed what activated the emergency system – engine failure, hydraulic or other technical problems.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the probe into the crash remains under investigation. Air-accident investigations typically can last a year or more due to a number of factors contributing to a crash, such as possible maintenance errors, crew missteps or design flaws.